Repair work begins on South Morro Hills reservoirs

OCEANSIDE — Repair work on two city reservoirs, priced at $6.7 million, began this week.

Morro Hills No. 2 Reservoir is a 5 million-gallon, aboveground steel reservoir, which is in need of interior and exterior re-coating and minor site repairs.

Morro Hills No. 1 Reservoir is a same-size, pre-stressed, aboveground concrete reservoir. It requires seismic retrofitting; repairs to its roof, walls and inlet and outlet valves; as well as site repairs.

Work has begun on the No. 2 reservoir.

In process is the replacement of failing support columns, improvements to piping and access, re-coating the interior of the tank and repainting its exterior.

Repairs on the No. 2 reservoir are expected to be completed by the end of summer.

To ensure safe water use, water operators have turned off the reservoir valve to customers, and the remaining water will be used for farmers and irrigation during repairs.

Once fixes on the No. 2 reservoir are finished, work to retrofit the No. 1 reservoir will begin.

The first step is relocation of the pump station and pipelines within the No. 1 reservoir site. Initial work is expected be complete by the end of 2017.

Reservoir retrofit work and painting will follow, which are anticipated to be finished by the summer of 2018.

This is the second pair of reservoirs to be fixed.

The Water Utilities Department had a structural analysis of all 12 of the city’s reservoirs completed in 2012. The most critical repairs were finished first.

Fixes to cracks and leaks in the Fire Mountain Reservoir and the Guajome No. 1 Reservoir were completed, at a cost of $4.8 million.

“The reservoir repairs have been in the queue for some time,” Cari Dale, city water utilities director, said.

A community meeting was held in late January to update residents near the reservoirs on the construction schedule and answer questions. Project construction signs have also been posted to keep residents informed.

Planned repairs will prolong the life of the reservoirs for 25 years.

The city also maintains the Guajome No. 2, Henie Hills, John Paul Steiger, Pilgrim Peak, San Francisco Peak No. 1, San Francisco Peak No. 2, Talone and Wire Mountain reservoirs. Each reservoir ranges between 1.5 million gallons to 5 million gallons and all are in need of some repairs.